We set off from A Guarda for Oia a little later this morning with a 9am start as the day was a little shorter and we could do with a sleep in.
It was a nice walk - a mix of alongside the road and off track beside the ocean and a little bit of forestry track. Not a lot of towns to travel through, so when you find a cafe you just stop and eat, which we did at about the 8k mark. Lovely cafe with views over the ocean and a fresh breeze to revive tired bodies.
It was about 5 hours on our feet, with about 160m of elevation gained and lost throughout the day. Trudging into Oia, we remembered it was San Juan’s Eve - a festival night and a lot of the shops and cafes were closed as a result. We made a quick trip to a couple of stores for dinner and made our way slightly out of town to Casa Toni, our accommodation for the night.
What an absolute delight! Toni has set up her two apartment home so she can air bnb one of the apartments. We were greeted with a friendly “Hola” and she showed us the delights of the rooms - the highlight being the cold beers she brought out to quench our thirsts after our long journey. She even offered to drive us into town if needed and invited us to the festival - but with a 12am fireworks display we probably wouldn’t get to that particular event!
Kicked back looking over the ocean and enjoying our beer and then just relaxing our weary bodies. After a rest I took a leisurely stroll down to the old monastery which is undergoing some work. The festival celebrations were well underway, with BBQs by the beach and couple of house parties pumping out the music. A lovely way to end the day before returning for dinner and a good sleep (albeit interrupted by fireworks at 11pm and 12am).
Up early today to walk to Baiona and Toni surprised us with her homemade rose water to freshen us for the day ahead. The water was beautifully scented and I can still detect a faint scent around my neck now.
18km under the belt today and it was a tough slog with over 325m elevation gain in a short distance - my highest point today was 357m above sea level - which is where we started today! At times I was walking in the mists of the clouds of the mountain. Highlight of the day was meeting a fellow Pellegrino - an Italian walker named Vanessa who we had been crossing paths with since Ancora. Second highlight was the three teenage boys who set up a lemonade stand at the end of a difficult climb in and out - best lemonade ever!
Thankfully the early start meant the real heat of the day hadn’t hit when we trudged into town. Our hotel was 3 hours away from check-in so I sat by the water talking to Brendon for a bit, before making my way to the beach and a change out of dirty walking clothes into my togs for an icy cold dip at the Playa de Ribeira - like an ice bath for the hips down.
Revived with a burger and a cool drink and a quick stretch in my hotel room I went for a short walk in search of Pepsi Max (it doesn’t sell everywhere here) and now just waiting for it to be late enough to have dinner - because we are now well and truly on Spanish time now, with restaurants closing between 5pm and 8pm for everything except cocktails.
So to the question in the title - what have I learned?
I’ve learned my body is amazing and recovers pretty well between stints of walking. I’ve learned to repeat a mantra when it gets tough. My mantra means a lot to me - it’s “every step I take is a step for the ones I love who can’t step for themselves anymore” - namely my mum and my son, who now mobilise in wheelchairs. Every time it gets tough, I remember that I have the good fortune and health to be able to do this, and I think of them and they drive me forward. There may have been tears, but I’ll never tell.
Most importantly there is one thing I already knew before I started, but which I’d forgotten (or repressed). I don’t really enjoy walking from one town to the next, arriving exhausted and dirty and not being able to enjoy the new place of discovery. This is not the ideal holiday for me, so it may be the coming days will feature public transport once again to move from town to town so I can enjoy the things in town once I arrive. Time will tell! And this time I’m not disappointed- I like to think I’m insightful enough to recognise it and own it!
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